Flying High
by Dementor-of-the-Pen
Summary: In MapleClan, cats fight to become the next leader. In MapleClan, things rarely ever go smooth. In MapleClan, only one cat will brave the rushing winds. Only one cat at a time, one cat, will reach the high post. Amberwing hopes she's got what it takes. (Story adopted and beta-read from Stuffed Watermelon.)


**Story adopted and beta-read from Stuffed Watermelon. Also, it's my first multi-chapter story, so I hope you guys'll enjoy it. I'm aiming to finish it in less than 2 months.**

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The Intro:

The story takes place in the land of four clans—PineClan, MapleClan, OakClan, and BirchClan. Each are named after a specific tree which most of its territory is covered with. MapleClan is the strongest of the four, and it's where Amberwing, the main character, comes from.

MapleClan's deputy is getting older. Many cats are competing to become the next deputy (then leader) of MapleClan. (There isn't much rush, though, since Cherrystar is still fresh.) Amberkit was born into this turmoil, and she seems to have special leadership skills. Her father wanted her to use her ambition, while her mother told her to hide it—or else she would become a target. And that was true, because the more Amberkit shined, the more other cats wanted to get rid of her, even when she's an apprentice. She outwitted her haters, becoming the warrior Amberwing. And that's when the story begins. This is only an outline, so there's probably gonna be a lot of stuff not mentioned above. I'll make it up as I go. Also, Amberwing will be referring to the quote, "Intelligence without ambition is like a bird without wings", because it's what her (deceased) father told her.

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The Prologue:

It was a cold and still night, the silence broken only by a monotone of snores, sounding from multiple dens etched barely visibly inside the shaded hollow. A light brown she-cat tiptoed to the middle of the MapleClan camp, her green eyes glowing eagerly as they swept over her surroundings.

"Nope, not there," she muttered after a few moments. Her soft voice was laden with disappointment. "And I really thought Cherrystar would be in her nest tonight, I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow night to ask her about Brackenkit." She padded back into the warriors' den, a big bush overlapped with small brown thorns.

Little did she know, Cherrystar was actually perched on top of a tall maple tree, hanging delicately over an innocent looking rock-pile. The russet-colored MapleClan leader had watched the brown she-cat come and go.

With an air of exhaustion, Cherrystar climbed down from the tree, slowly picking her way through the darkness. As she was making her way down, she deliberately knocked a small branch into the medicine cat's den. It was the signal for conversation.

There were several quiet groans coming from a faint outline of two forked trees, and then a dark ginger tom padded over to where Cherrystar stood, waiting impatiently, at the camp's entrance.

After giving him a glare that clearly meant 'Be quiet!', Cherrystar flicked her tail at the tom and padded out into the deep forest. Her partner glanced around twice before walking rapidly behind her. They noted it was eerily silent, crowded inside the branches, but that was how things were always like at night. There were no nocturnal hunters, nor had there ever been.

The two cats finally came to a halt in front of a thick waterfall. Its waves reflected the moonlight, and its hum, which had gotten louder as they were closing in on it, echoed on the rocks piled around.

The orange medicine cat gingerly placed his paws forward until he had walked right into the side of the waterfall, absorbed by its powerful slashes. Cherrystar did not hesitate to follow him, and soon both cats had disappeared into the secret cave hidden behind.

..

Once they were tucked safety into the deepest part of the cave, Cherrystar turned to the ginger tom. Her eyes blazed with pleading. "Please, Honeyspring, I need your help, Briarstem told me I should consult with you once more. It's happened again, these cats are so blinded with their need for power. Just a moment ago—at this time of night, you hear?— Dewmask came to my den, just to ask me if she could mentor Brackenkit! This has happened with Beeface, too! The cats of this clan are too afraid to ask for an apprentice in broad daylight, as others might 'punish them for wanting to become deputy'!" She felt the words come tumbling out, her voice rising in frustration.

Honeyspring closed his eyes. "Cherrystar, you are MapleClan's leader, you must try to make the right decisions. With all these random omens turning up, I am plagued enough."

"Ah, yes, the omens. Are you so fed up with messages of StarClan that you cannot help me with the current things—with the important things?"

"Cherrystar. I beg you, hold your anger. Hear me out first. Last sun-rise, I visited the Moonpool."

"And...?" Cherrystar leaned forward, her attention captured.

Honeyspring sank to the ground, as if the memory was too much to hold. "StarClan were horrified with MapleClan's current predicament. Some wanted Furzepetal as leader. Some wanted Shadowtail. Others—" He shook his head sadly. "Even out ancestors are arguing. They are torn between their own separate cats, they send me omen after omen for who they choose. And our current deputy—Quailstorm—gets closer to retirement with each day that passes. How can we pick a single cat out of so many arguments and debates?"

Cherrystar's eyes widened. "Quailstorm told me that he'd stay as my deputy for one more year—he's been a good one so far, I'll tell you that—and then he'll be too old to carry out his special duties. If StarClan won't help us now, we'll have to make our own choice, whether they like it or not."

Honeyspring nodded numbly. "Yes, I suppose so. I advise you to make your pick quickly, or else this problem will get out of paw. Battles will break out, I have the feeling they eventually will."

His leader's face looked thoughtful. "True, that. Yet the thing is, I have the strangest feeling I should wait a bit longer... And the right cat will come to me, of its own accord."

One day later, Amberkit was born to Hollybird and Spidercreek.

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**MapleClan Allegiances (so far):**

Leader: Cherrystar - _reddish brown she-cat_

Deputy: Quailstorm -

Medicine Cat: Honeyspring - _ginger tom_

Warriors: 

Furzepetal -

Shadowtail -

Beeface -

Spidercreek -

Dewmask - _light brown she-cat with green eyes_

Queens:

Hollybird -

Elders:

Briarstem -

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Oooh, yeah, a prologue! If you think this is worth reading, please review!


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